Mini-Bug Out Bag
This is their "Bail Out Bag Jr." (and look, it's on closeout!) which they tout as:
Is the Original Bail Out Bag a little too large? Do you need a more discreet way to carry your gear? Maybe you need a cheap tactical lunch bag?
The LA Police Gear Bail out Bag Jr. is your solution! Even with it's smaller, compact design, this bag has many of the same great features as the Original Bail Out Bag.
The first thought I had when I took it out of the box and got a good look at it was that it was the perfect size to keep in the truck as an emergency bag. It's not quite a Bug Out Bag, as it's not intended to hold supplies for a week's worth of hiding out, but it's a great size to hold enough stuff should I get snowed in somewhere or wind up off the road in a remote area. The thinking is that it should have enough gear to get me safely through a night or so and still be portable should I need to get out of (the) Dodge.
Here's what I'm thinking should go in the bag:
- Hand crank flashlight
- Energy bars
- Emergency blanket
- Poncho
- Multi-tool
- Cell phone with car charger
- 20-24 ounce water bottle
- Matches
- Disposable lighter
- Trash bags
- Fixed blade knife
I figure a flashlight that doesn't need batteries is a must-have - I already have a couple LED lights kicking around the truck as well as a Maglight, but Murphy says those will be dead with the SHTF. The energy bars and water will do in a pinch for nourishment; certainly not enough to live on for any great length of time but enough to stave off starvation/dehydration for a day or two (I also keep a six pack of 10 ounce bottles under the seat for the kids' sports events when they forget their sports bottles...). The ponchos and trash bags are to keep me and my gear dry - I'm assuming that inclement weather will be necessitating this bag - and the blanket in case it's winter. Matches/lighter for starting a fire for warmth and/or visibility, and a knife for many reasons. I know I'm forgetting a bunch, but this is a start.
What other gear would be useful in this sort of bag?
That is all.
16 comments:
Several space blankets. Small and cheap, and they reflect your body heat back at you. Could save your life if the truck got stuck in a snowbank.
Also a small, long-burning candle. Provides enough heat to raise the temperature of the cab by 20 or 30 degrees (say, get the tem up to zero or 10 degrees. Doesn't give off much carbon di-/monoxide. Again, could save your life in a blizard.
Ten or fifteen feet of 550 cord. Good stuff to have around anyways.
The list of stuff stashed, tucked, secreted, and secured in my truck is ... embarrassing. I'll have to inventory it one of these days.
Suffice it to say, if I were stranded in the damn boonies during a blizzard, when the Rescuing Heroes arrived, I'd invite them into my lean-to for hot tea or coffee and a bit of a snack before we went back to civilization. :)
Borepatch, that strikes me as the sort of thing one should have in a vehicle anyway -- much like jumper cables, road flares, emergency tire sealant, replacement fuses.
My first look at Jay's list produced no thoughts. My second produced 3:
* a small weather-band radio with batteries and a power cord
* 2 of the handheld walkie-talkies, probably the kind with rechargeable batteries, and a power cord
* a power inverter. This is a gadget that takes the DC output from a car accessory socket and turns it into AC current sent out through a standard electric outlet. Any standard power cord will plug into it, and it puts out enough juice to run a variety of small electronic devices - cellphone, laptop, pocket radio, battery chargers. The cheapo ones cost $20-$25 at any drugstore; there are more robust ones that cost a bit more.
@ Wolfwalker: I wouldn't be in favor of the inverter. They are horribly inefficient and will very quickly suck a standard car battery dry.
A normal starting battery has, for the sake of round numbers 60Ah of reserve capacity. A 200W inverter (the max you can get through a cigarette lighter) will be pulling near 20A from that - you'll be below starting capacity inside an hour and flat dead in less than three.
If I'm stuck for 1-2 days, the only thing that'd be important (for me) to keep charged is the cell phone. A $10 generic 12v charger from Walmart works perfectly and doesn't put the strain on the car battery. Same deal for a AA battery charger.
(My truck has a 1000W marine inverter in the toolbox along with a 95Ah deep-cycle battery. At load, I can expect 30-45 minutes of use.)
Well yeah, Zercool, if you use it with the engine turned off. I wouldn't advise anybody to run anything more intense than the radio off a car battery if the engine isn't running. And even that only for short periods.
But think through it. Jay's talking about something to carry in your car/truck for little emergencies, not everyday use. That suggests three possible scenarios:
1) the vehicle is undrivable and the engine doesn't work, in which case you have bigger things to worry about than running the battery dry.
2) the vehicle is undrivable but the engine does work, in which case you haven't got any reason to conserve gas. Do you?
3) the vehicle is drivable but you're lost/snowed in/otherwise stopped from moving. In this case your main priority is to call for help and/or wait for some change in circumstances that will let you get moving again. Again, the engine is usable so you can keep it running, as long as you save a couple of gallons of gas for traveling once you can travel again.
Have I missed anything?
I would put in some bandages and such even if you already have a first aid kit. A little redundancy never hurt anything when you are bleeding.
I would assume that not only am I off the road, but that I skun a few knuckles trying to get the vehicle back up and purring. Some hand-cleaning stuff to clean the area, some antiseptic ointment or liquid, assorted dressings and bandages, tape, bandaids. Not much more than that, though to keep weight and size small.
I would add a whistle onto one of the zipper pulls. A compass of some description would be nice. A bottle of water purification tablets is tiny, sturdy, and light, I would definately throw one in. A navy watch-cap if space permitted, but it would be lower on the priorities list. There are some nice pocket-size survival guides that NH Fish and Game puts out, I would toss one in, they cover first-aid as well.
I have made a mini-BOB about that size before when I ran equipment on a mountain, I'll put it back together and make a post of it tonight or tomorrow morning.
Agree with Borepatch, both lightweight and heavyweight space blankets. I also have 4-5 Cylume chem lights in my bag, and an entrenching tool.
I'd go with a LED flashlight with a CR123 battery. They're rated for a 10 year shelf life, so if you rotate them yearly, it'll be good to go. Hand crank lights kinda suck. The chemical lightstick suggestion is a good one, I'm going to add that to my car.
Well, that's the idea for this post, actually. I had a few thoughts on the matter, and have been assembling the bag (in my head) ever since I got it.
Borepatch,
Those are the blankets I was referring to. Not a bad idea to get more than one, though.
Candles, I'm a little less fond of, simply for the open flame aspect. Maybe with a holder...
Zercool,
Excellent idea on the cord. Will add that in.
wolfwalker,
Interestingly enough, I have walkie talkies in the truck already (for Mrs. G. and I while maneuvering the camper). Weather radio's not a bad idea - since I'm mainly concerned with inclement weather.
Butch Cassidy,
Whistle and compass are EXCELLENT ideas. I got TheBoy a little combo whistle/compass/thermometer deal for camping with the Cub Scouts, would be a great thing to toss into the bag.
Old NFO,
Ooh, glowsticks. That is a FANTASTIC idea. They do expire, but with the kids we go through 'em pretty rapidly - as long as they're rotated with the energy bars, it's all good. They can be used as a light source or to mark your location, too.
I keep a water filter in my emergency kit, and I like also having a backpacker's cup and a small stove.
If you have the room, I'd add an Army Surplus Canteen Cup, an Esbit Stove, Nomex or Leather Work gloves, Magnesium Fire Starter (Absolutely Positive your gear will stay dry?), Jerky and some Baby Wipes. That's part of what I carry in my E-Bag. Gets me through 24-48 hours, but I know I can stretch it as long as I can boil water, ration my food, and clean any dirt from a wound. Oh, and a good 30" square bandana. Ymmv, of course.
shake/crank flashlights are nice but if you want a reg light you could always do what an electrician friend suggested and install one of the batteries upside down this way they never run down and will never explode and ruin your light. then when you need it just unscrew base flip the last battery and your good to go with a 100% charged set of batteries
Headlamp, with led bulb. I reccomend Priceton-Tec or Petzl. First time you need to change a tire at night, in the rain when it s 37 degrees out and have to use both hands (been there done that) and need both hands, they prove themselves. Trying to hold a small flashlight in your mouth or set it up on the road when you need 2 hands is challenging to say the least. Could come in handy too if you need to look in the engine compartment and need both hands free. Also a set of good working gloves, if not in the bag, somewhere in the vehicle.
A Heinlein book. Make it one of his "juveniles" in case you're snowed in with the munchkins.
As it is read the pages ... um ... secondary uses.
Like Stretch said.
Kleenex/TP.
@ Stretch: Wiping with Heinlein?? Bite your tongue, man! Buy a "Twilight" book or two if you expect to need wiping material.
Post a Comment